Nutraceutical: Coffee

Indication: Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Source: Diabetologia, April 2014

Research: Coffee and tea consumption has been associated with a lower type 2 diabetes risk but little is known about how changes in coffee and tea consumption influence subsequent type 2 diabetes risk. Researchers examined the associations between 4-year changes in coffee and tea consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in the subsequent 4 years. They prospectively followed 48,464 women in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS; 1986–2006), 47,510 women in NHS II (1991–2007) and 27,759 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS; 1986–2006). Diet was assessed every 4 years using a validated food- frequency questionnaire. Self-reported cases of incident type 2 diabetes were validated by supplementary questionnaires. 

Results: During 1,663,319 person-years of follow-up, researchers documented 7,269 cases of incident type 2 diabetes. Participants who increased their coffee consumption by more than 1 cup/day (median change=1.69 cups/day) over a 4 year period had an 11% (95% CI 3%, 18%) lower risk of type 2 diabetes in the subsequent 4 years compared with those who made no changes in consumption. Participants who decreased their coffee intake by more than 1 cup/day (median change = −2 cups/day) had a 17% (95% CI 8%, 26%) higher risk for type 2 diabetes. Changes in tea consumption were not associated with type 2 diabetes risk.

Researchers concluded that data provided novel evidence that increasing coffee consumption over a 4 year period is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, while decreasing coffee consumption is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes in subsequent years.